Holiday hotel travel increases for Thanksgiving weekend

(NBC) - The hotel and hospitality industry is glad to see people returning to travel.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association estimates hotel leisure travel revenue is up 14% nationally and 19 percent in the DFW market over 2019.

But the industry is facing a real staffing shortage.

Ashford CEO speaks

"Right now, most of our hotels are only about 75 percent staffed back to where they were. We'd like that to be closer to 85 or 90 percent but it's still very difficult to get people to staff these properties."

Rob Hays, CEO of Ashford Hospitality Group in Dallas, attributes several factors to the staffing issue.

"Now we've seen the rise of the gig economy, of people taking their own careers into their own hands with technology. As well as companies like Amazon and others that are staffing large warehouses. So now competition for labor is a little different than it was."

Hotels offering incentives

To increase, staffing hotels are offering hiring incentives like increased wages, flexible hours, and expanded benefits.

Hays say they also try to offer future growth.

"Making sure they're seeing the opportunities that if they are with us not just one year or two years but five or 10 years can they move their way up to someday where maybe right now they are at the front of the hotel but could someday be the general manager."

With staffing shortage you may seem a cutback on some services like daily room cleaning or room service.

Hays says regardless, customers comfort is a priority during these times.

"Be patient with the people on staff right now. They are doing their best and they are stretched thin right now."